THE 


OF  MARY  ROESLI; 


A    TRUE  STORY. 


BY     MARY     ROESLI. 


BOSTON: 

1'  R  K  S  S     0  K     W.     L.     D  E  L  A  N  D     AND     SON 

Congress    Building,  4  Post-office  Square. 

1880. 


UCSB  LIBRARY 


THE 


MISFORTUNES  OF  MARY  ROESLI; 


STORY. 


BY     MARY     ROESLI. 


BOSTON: 

PRESS    OF    W.     L.     DELAND    AND    SON, 

Congress   Building,  4  Post-office  Square. 

1880. 


1 8  CONCORD  SQUARE. 

THE  subject  of  this  story  is  well  known  to  me  personally. 
I  cannot  judge  of  her  accuracy  in  giving  a  detailed  account 
of  her  surgical  treatment,  but  I  know  MARY  ROESLI  to 
be  a  truthful,  good  girl.  She  has  been,  and  is,  a  great 
sufferer,  and  she  has  borne  her  trials  very  patiently  and 
uncomplainingly.  Her  mother  is  very  much  straightened 
in  means :  and  without  taking  council  of  any  one,  I  be- 
lieve, Mary  has  written  this  little  sketch  of  her  experience, 
hoping  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  benevolent  and 
add  something  to  the  resources  of  her  family.  She  placed 
the  narrative  in  my  hands  a  day  or  two  since,  and,  with-  , 
out  her  solicitation,  I  have  appended  to  it  these  few  words 
as  a  testimonial  of  her  good  character. 

HENRY  WILLIAMS. 


BOSTON,  Feb.  22,  1873. 

SINCE  this  story  was  first  put  into  print,  the  ROESLI 
family  have  lost  nearly  everything  they  had  in  the  world 
by  the  Great  Fire.  They  lived  in  attic  rooms  on  Summer 
Street,  within  a  few  doors  of  the  corner  of  Kingston  Street, 
and  were  soon  driven  out  of  their  home  by  the  fire, 
escaping  with  only  a  few  things,  some  of  which  were 
afterwards  stolen  from  them.  Though  they  have  received 
kind  aid  from  the  Committee  on  Chardon  Street,  and 
from  others  who  have  interested  themselves  in  behalf  of 
the  family,  they  still  need  a  good  many  things  which 
they  have  not  the  means  to  purchase,  and  they  are  well 
deserving  of  additional  aid  from  the  charitable. 

H.  WILLIAMS. 


THE 


MISFORTUNES  OF  MARY  ROESLI; 


THE    LOST    ARM. 


IN  placing  before  a  generous  public  this  little  book 
bearing  the  above  title,  it  is  my  desire  to  speak  in 
an  impartial  manner  of  each  one  of  the  physicians 
connected  with  the  treatment  of  my  arm  after  the 
unfortunate  accident  which  befell  me  a  few  years 
since  on  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad,  and  to  give 
a  precise  statement  regarding  my  sufferings,  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge,  with  the  assistance  of  my 
parents ;  and  in  the  meantime  to  thank  every  per- 
son who  is  willing  to  extend  to  me  the  small  com- 
pensation I  desire  to  procure  for  this  book,  and  thus 
in  some  measure  alleviate  my  permanent  misfortune—^ 
the  loss  of  my  right  arm. 

In  company  with  my  parents,  on  the  afternoon  of 


6  THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI. 

November  2,  I  was  starting  to  go  from  Melrose  to 
Boston,  between  3  and  4  o'clock.  The  cars  being 
some  fifteen  minutes  late — though  this  was  unknown 
to  me — upon  reaching  Melrose,  simply  came  to  a 
stop,  and  hardly  gave  the  passengers  time  to  get 
aboard.  By  a  sudden  start,  as  I  had  just  mounted 
the  car  platform,  I  was  instantly  thrown  under  the 
car,  and  my  arm  was  crushed  at  the  elbow  by  the 
forward  wheels,  and  but  for  the  immediate  assistance 
of  my  father,  who  drew  me  from  my  perilous  position, 
I  should  undoubtedly  have  been  killed.  The  train 
was  stopped  at  once,  and  after  I  was  placed  in  the 
car,  every  assistance  was  given  me  that  the  kind 
passengers  could  extend,  and  after  my  arm  was  care- 
fully bound  up,  the  conductor  advised  my  father  to 
take  me  to  Maiden,  as  the  nearest  place  to  get  it 
properly  dressed.  Unfortunately  the  doctor  upon 
whom  we  called  was  absent  from  his  office,  and  did 
not  return  until  9  o'clock  in  the  evening.  When  he 
reached  home  he  examined  my  arm  and  pronounced 
amputation  necessary,  which  he  performed  that  night 
After  remaining  four  days  at  Maiden,  under  the 
physician's  care,  I  was  transferred  to  the  Massachu- 


THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI.  7 

setts  General  Hospital  in  Boston,  where,  being  ex- 
amined, the  surgeon  pronounced  a  second  amputa- 
tion necessary,  as  the  bone  was  mortifying  from  not 
being  properly  dressed  at  the  first  operation. 

Five  weeks  after  this  operation  another  was  deemed 
necessary,  as  the  arm  would  not  heal.  Eight  weeks 
later,  another  amputation  was  made  for  the  same 
cause. 

Twelve  weeks  after  this  last  operation,  and  on 
account  of  continual  pain,  I  was  again  admitted  into 
the  hospital,  and  submitted  to  another  amputation 
on  account  of  the  bone  mortifying  ;  and,  as  the  flesh 
was  slow  in  healing,  I  was  detained  in  the  hospital 
five  months,  after  which  I  was  permitted  to  return 
home  ;  but  still  the  arm  continued  to  cause  me  in- 
cessant pain,  and  made  me  often  very  sick, — but  yet 
no  relief  could  be  afforded  me. 

An  artificial  arm  was  given  me  by  one  of  the  kind 
physicians,  but  its  weight  caused  the  pain  in  my  arm 
to  increase,  and  I  was  soon  obliged  to  abandon  it. 

After  trying  several  treatments  under  different 
surgeons,  and  no  remedy  staying  my  constant  suffer- 
ing, I  again  applied  to  the  City  Hospital  for  admit- 


8  THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI. 

tance,  which  was  granted,  and  I  was  so  subject  to 
fainting  that  my  only  nourishment  was  milk  and  lime 
water.  Here,  in  the  above-named  hospital,  I  re- 
mained three  months, — but  still  very  weak  from  sick- 
ness, I  was  sent  home,  and  for  five  months  I  was  a 
constant  sufferer  from  feeble  health. 

Some  time  afterwards  my  arm  again  became  so 
painful  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  sleep  at 
night  or  during  the  day,  and  my  first  attending 
physician  at  the  General  Hospital  told  me  that  noth- 
ing was  the  matter  that  he  could  see,  but  my  arm 
continued  so  painful  I  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  City 
Hospital  in  February  of  the  next  year,  and  the  doctor 
there  told  me  that  the  arm  was  dislocated  at  the 
shoulder,  and  in  order  to  cure  me  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  amputate  the  remaining  part  of  the  limb  by 
taking  it  from  the  socket  at  the  shoulder. 

At  first  I  hesitated  about  the  operation — for  to 
lose  the  entire  arm  is  indeed  a  great  misfortune — 
but  I  could  think  only  of  my  intense  sufferings,  con- 
sequently I  consented  to  have  the  last  operation  per- 
formed. So  after  being  placed  in  a  partially  insensible 
condition  from  the  effects  of  ether,  the  bone  was 


THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI.  9 

removed,  and  with  it  six  little  tumors  ;  and  although 
the  pain  was  torturing,  I  never  uttered  a  cry  or 
showed  any  signs  of  distress,  which  somewhat  aston- 
ished the  physicians  and  students  who  saw  the  oper- 
ation. 

On  the  first  of  April  following,  the  doctor  sent  me 
to  my  home,  and  as  the  shoulder  gave  no  signs  of 
healing  I  visited  one  of  the  hospital  surgeons  at  his 
house,  who,  after  examining  the  shoulder,  said  it 
would  not  heal,  because  in  uniting  the  flesh  after 
the  bone  was  removed  the  raw  flesh  was  placed  over 
the  skin  opposite,  and  could  not  possibly  unite  any 
more  than  placing  the  two  hands  together. 

On  the  first  of  May,  another  operation  of  the 
shoulder  flesh  was  necessary,  in  order  that  it  might 
be  properly  placed  in  a  position  to  heal ;  and  though 
I  think  I  may  say  I  stood  this  operation  with  some 
fortitude,  as  it  elicited  the  remark  from  several  physi- 
cians that  I  was  "courageous,"  yet  the  reader  will 
understand  that  such  remarks  are  generally  made  to 
render  the  sometimes  timid,  brave,  but  my  silent  suf- 
fering was  terrible  to  me.  During  the  three  weeks 
that  I  remained  in  the  hospital  my  arm  began  to 


10  THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI. 

heal  and  pain  me,  and  at  times  it  would  almost 
break  my  heart,  yet  still  I  hoped  for  relief  as  time 
passed  on.  But  as  hopes  availed  nothing,  I  again 
visited  the  surgeon  who  performed  the  last  operation. 

The  encouragement  he  gave  me  was  that  the  only 
method  left  for  treatment  was  to  cut  off  the  pro- 
truding flesh  and  leave  the  shoulder  open,  and  yet 
the  operation  was  of  so  serious  a  nature  that  death 
might  ensue,  thereiore  that  surgeon  did  not  dare 
proceed  on  my  account ;  finally  he  resorted  to  ice- 
bags  (so-called) ;  but,  more  definitely  explained,  they 
were  little  bags  filled  with  ice  and  placed  on  my 
back  near  the  shoulder  of  the  lost  arm.  This  treat- 
ment relieved  me  a  great  deal  from  pain  ;  but  soon, 
in  spite  of  it,  the  pain  began  anew,  and  blisters 
were  applied,  but  to  no  effect.  Morphine  was  then 
rubbed  over  the  shoulder,  and  my  medicine  was 
iodine — but  still  the  pain  continued  ;  and  four  months 
I  remained  in  the  hospital  suffering  intensely  from 
my  ailment,  and  in  this  condition  I  was  sent  home. 

Again,  in  December,  I  returned  and  was  subjected 
to  the  severe  treatment  of  having  four  holes  burnt  in 
my  back  with  a  hot  iron  ;  this  was  done  to  keep  the 


THE    MISFORTUNES    OF    MARY    ROESLI.  II 

flesh  open,  but  to  no  effect,  and  in  one  week's  time 
they  closed,  and  the  pain  commenced  again ;  and 
from  the  time  of  my  accident  to  the  present  day  no 
comfort  have  I  received  from  the  hands  of  any  physi- 
cian, although  they  probably  have  done  all  they  can 
to  give  me  relief.  And  through  the  introduction  of 
this  little  book  it  is  my  desire  to  get  some  assistance. 

Mary  has  lately  lost  father  and  mother,  and  is 
alone  with  a  young  sister  and  am  anxious  to  earn  my 
living  in  an  honorable  way. 

To  all  young  girls  who  are  blessed  with  both  arms 
my  thoughts  go  forth,  "  how  fortunate ;"  and  in  clos- 
ing my  little  work  I  sincerely  trust  that  no  accident, 
no  matter  of  how  light  a  character,  will  ever  befall 
any  of  my  fortunate  friends — and  again  the  girl  of 
the  lost  arm  breathes  a  fervent  "God  bless  you,"  and 
a  grateful  good-bye. 


ye 33.  UBRARf 


802    5 


